You will initially study subjects including human anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, genetics and pharmacology. In your final year you will study specialist modules in topics including endocrinology, genomics, neuroscience, cell pathology and cancer biology.

Progression

The School of Biological & Chemical Sciences has an excellent record for preparing our graduates for admission to medicine and dentistry programmes and the programme has been designed with this in mind. An average of 20 students a year successfully gain places at Queen Mary's Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and a similar number gain places at other medical schools in London and the rest of the UK.

This career progression route has been strengthened by an agreement that the top 15 students (based on performance in the first two years) from the combined biomedical science programmes are guaranteed an offer of a place on the five-year MBBS degree at Barts and the London (subject to successful interview and completing the BSc with an upper second class degree).

Choosing your degree award

Our biomedical sciences programmes is rather unique in that students can choose which degree award they would like to work towards.

Once students have started with us they can choose to continue on the BSc Biomedical Sciences programme or choose to follow a specialised area of study in their final year. The five possible degree awards are:

Non-UK students

Students from outside the United Kingdom must give evidence of their English language ability by producing an English language test score. The university provides guidelines for English requirements for all degree programmes.

Foundation programme

Other qualifications

If you have qualifications, which are not listed above, please contact us to check your eligibility:Email:admissionsteamb@qmul.ac.ukTel: +44(0) 207 882 3096 / +44(0) 207 882 7902

Learning and teaching

All our programmes involve a mixture of classroom activities and laboratory work. A variety of teaching styles are employed, which vary slightly among modules and programmes. Most material is delivered via lectures. These last around 50 minutes each and, typically, you would have two lectures per day.

Lectures are backed up with small-group tutorials and workshops, where you have the opportunity to ask, in a relatively relaxed and small group setting, about material in lectures that you did not understand, to go through problems and practise past exam papers. In general, lectures, tutorials and workshops take place in the mornings and laboratory classes in the afternoons.

A typical weekly workload would be:

Eight one-hour lectures

9-12 hours of practical laboratories or workshops

18-20 hours of private study/coursework.

Independent study

For every hour spent at University you will be expected to complete additional hours of independent study. Your individual study time could be spent preparing for, or following up on formal study sessions; reading; assessing data from experiments; completing lab reports; and revising for examinations.

The direction of your individual study will be guided by the formal study and laboratory sessions you attend, along with your reading and assignments. However, we expect you to demonstrate an active role in your own learning by reading widely and expanding your own knowledge, understanding and critical ability.

Independent study will foster in you the ability to identify your own learning needs and determine which areas you need to focus on to become proficient in your subject area. This is an important transferable skill and will help to prepare you for the transition to working life.

Assessment:

For all programmes, you must take 120 credits (normally eight modules) in each academic year. Each module is assessed through a combination of theory examinations (typically accounting for 70-90 per cent of the final mark) and coursework (for example practical reports, problem sheets, online exercises and tests). Theory examinations are normally two and a half hours long.

Final year BSc students may undertake a research project worth 30 credits, while final year MSci students undertake a project worth 60 credits; these projects are generally assessed by a combination of detailed written report, a seminar presentation, a poster and an interview.

There are presently no mid-session exams and the main examination period is in May/June, with the additional possibility of deferred exams and resits in August for first and second year students. The format of undergraduate examinations varies from module to module and may include multiple choice questions (MCQ), short answer questions, problem solving or essays.

Graduate Employment

Progression onto medicine and dentistry programmes

The School of Biological & Chemical Sciences has an excellent record for preparing our graduates for admission to medicine and dentistry programmes and the programme has been designed with this in mind. An average of 20 students a year successfully gain places at Queen Mary's Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and a similar number gain places at other medical schools in London and the rest of the UK.

This career progression route has been strengthened by an agreement that the top 15 students (based on performance in the first two years) from the combined biomedical science programmes are guaranteed an offer of a place on the five-year MBBS degree at Barts and the London (subject tosuccessful interview and completing the BSc with an upper second class degree).

Further study and employment

A large number of biomedical sciences graduates will go on to further study with recent graduates opting for:

Medicine

Dentistry

MSc Cancer Therapeutics

MSc Dental Technology

MSc Neuroscience

MSc Molecular Medicine

MSc Pharmacology

Recent graduates of this programme have moved into a wide range of careers including:

Medical Lab Assistant Charing Cross Hospital

Clinical Assistant Great Ormond Street

Health Care Scientist Support Team Health Protection Agency

Anatomy Assistant Primal Pictures

Radiographer’s Assistant Southend Hospital

Journalism/Editorial Assistant Biochemical Society

Orthodontic Nurse Weybridge Orthodontics

Biochemist National Blood Service

Queen Mary’s specialist career service is on hand to offer you advice throughout and after your university studies. We are committed to helping our students achieve their career goals and were placed top 10 in the UK for student employability, according to the Sunday Times Good University Guide 2012.

Profiles

Name: Hitesh Mistry

Studying: BSc Biomedical Sciences

"I chose Queen Mary because it is the only London-based university which has all the main facilities, accommodation and departments on one campus. Additionally, the fact that the lecturers are conducting research which is being published means that we are being taught by people who have direct first-hand experience in their areas of expertise.

"The best thing about the course is the variety of modules. I am able to study a range of different aspects of biology, yet still see how they integrate with each other. I also think that the course is well structured, the University well organised and the newly updated buildings have all the facilities we require.

"The most interesting thing that I have done on my course was the practical sessions of my Human Anatomy modules. We were given access to pro-sections and skeletons in order for us to learn and visualise the location, shape and attachment of various muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and much more. This practical experience was enjoyable and really helpful."

Hitesh Mistry

Biomedical Sciences

“I chose Queen Mary because it is the only London-based university which has all the main facilities, accommodation and departments on one campus. Additionally, the fact that the lecturers are conducting research which is beingpublished means that we are being taught by people who have direct first-hand experience in their areas of expertise.

“The best thing about the course is the variety of modules. I am able to study a range of different aspects of biology, yet still see how they integrate with each other. I also think that the course is well structured, the University well organised and the newly updated buildings have all the facilities we require.

“The most interesting thing that I have done on my course was the practical sessions of my Human Anatomy modules. We were given access to pro-sections and skeletons in order for us to learn and visualise the location, shape and attachment of various muscles, ligaments, blood vessels and much more. This practical experience was enjoyable and really helpful.”